Comparison of Stabilization and Fusion Methods with Xenograft Plate Screws After Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy in Dogs.

AIM: Fusion development is the primary goal in spinal surgeries that are conducted for the treatment of vertebral body pathologies such as trauma, tumor and infection. Stabilization using metal plate screws together either with an autograft, allograft or xenograft is used. We evaluated fusion development in stabilizations that were carried out with xenograft (XG) with XG plate-screw (XPS) and XG with metal plate-screw (MPS) systems in dogs" lumbar vertebrae (L5-7 segment) in terms of radiological, biomechanical and histopathological aspects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The animals were divided into 4 groups, each including 5 subjects. The experiment consisted of Control group 1 which did not go through any procedure and was stabilized, Control group 2 which underwent instability with only L6 anterior corpectomy, Experimental group 1 which was stabilized with intervertebral XG and XPS after L6 corpectomy, and Experimental group 2 which was stabilized with intervertebral XG and MPS after L6 corpectomy. Development of fusion in the Experimental groups 1 and 2 was evaluated in terms of radiological and histopathological aspects. RESULTS: Comparison of Control and Experimental groups showed an increase in resistance in all activities on biomechanical tests (p < 0.01). Fusion development was observed in the radiological and histopathological examinations of the subjects in the Experimental group. On the other hand, Experimental groups 1 and 2 did not show a significant difference in the biomechanical test comparisons (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Xenograft plate screws and metal plate screws provide equivalent fusion and stabilization in anterior lumbar stabilization.

Surgical anatomy of the cavernous sinus, superior orbital fissure, and orbital apex via a lateral orbitotomy approach: a cadaveric anatomical study.

BACKGROUND: Tumors of the middle fossa or cavernous sinus (CS), or intraorbital tumors, can penetrate each other through the superior orbital fissure (SOF) or neighboring tissue. These complicated pathologies are often treated with highly invasive surgical procedures. In this article, we demonstrate surgical anatomic dissections of the CS, SOF, orbital apex (OA), and dura mater extending to the periorbita from the middle fossa, by performing an epidural dissection via a lateral orbitotomy approach, and discuss findings that may provide guidance during surgery in these regions. METHODS: Lateral orbitotomy was performed on latex-injected cadaver heads by making a 2-cm skin incision lateral to the lateral canthus, drilling the lesser and greater sphenoid wings that form the SOF borders, and removing the bone section between the middle fossa and orbit. Dura mater from the middle fossa to the periorbita was exposed to perform anterior clinoidectomy. Meningeal dura was dissected from the endosteal dura, which forms the lateral wall of the CS, to expose the CS, SOF, and OA for dissections. RESULTS: Changing the orientation of the microscope from posterior to anterior enabled regional control for dissection from the Gasserian ganglion to the OA. Cranial nerves that pass through the CS, SOF, and OA were dissected and exposed. The annular tendon was opened, revealing the oculomotor nerves and its branches, as well as the abducens and nasociliary nerves, which pass through the oculomotor foramen and course within the OA and orbit. CONCLUSIONS: This approach causes less tissue damage; provides control of the surgical area in spheno-orbital tumors invading the fissure and foramen by changing the orientation of the microscope toward the orbit, OA, SOF, CS, and middle fossa; and expands the indication criteria for lateral orbitotomy surgery. This approach, therefore, represents an alternative surgical method for excising complicated tumors in these regions.

Endoscopic Evacuation of Subdural Collections.

AIM: Intraoperative use of the endoscope is a hot topic in neurosurgery and it gives broader visualization of critical and hardlyreached areas. Endoscope-assisted surgical approach to chronic subdural haematoma (SDH) is a minimally invasive technique and may give an expansion to the regular method of burr-hole haematoma drainage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Endoscope-assisted haematoma drainage with mini-craniotomy was performed over a 24-month period, and prospectively collected data is reviewed. A total of 10 procedures (8 patients) were performed using the endoscopeassisted technique. Four of them were chronic SDH and six were subacute SDH. RESULTS: Procedures were extended 20 minutes in average because of endoscopic intervention. There was no extra-morbidity through the study as a consequence of endoscopic assessment. CONCLUSION: Endoscope-assisted techniques can make the operation safe in selected circumstances with improved intraoperative visualization. It may likewise take into consideration the identification and destruction of neo-membranes, septums and solid clots. In addition, the source of bleeding can be easily coagulated. The endoscope-assisted techniques, with all of these features, can alter the pre- and intra-operative decision-making for selected patients.

General versus epidural anesthesia for lumbar microdiscectomy.

This study was a retrospective analysis of 850 lumbar microdiscectomy (LMD) under epidural anesthesia (EA; n=573) or general anesthesia (GA; n=277) performed by the same surgeon and paid by invoice to the Social Security Institution of the Turkish Republic between April 2003 and May 2013. Although GA is the most frequently used method of anesthesia during LMD, the choice of regional anesthetia (epidural, spinal or a combination of these) differs between surgeons and anesthetists. Studies have reported that EA in surgery for lumbar disc herniation may be more reliable than GA, as it enables the surgeon to communicate with the patient during surgery, but few studies have compared the costs of these two anesthetic methods in LMD. We found that EA patient costs were significantly lower than GA patient costs (p<0.01) and there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the time spent in the operating room (p<0.01). There was no difference in the duration of surgery (p>0.05). The anesthetic method used during LMD affected the complication rate, cost and efficiency of operating room use. We suggest that EA is an anesthetic method that can contribute to health care cost savings and enable LMD to be completed with less nerve root manipulation and more comfort, efficacy, reliability and cost efficiency without affecting the success rate of the surgical procedure.

Intraocular neuromuscular choristoma: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Neuromuscular choristomas (NMCs) are rare benign tumors of the peripheral nerves. Although histopathological characteristics of this unusual lesion have been recognized, in this regard, neuroimaging findings have not been well described previously. We report the first intraconally located NMC affecting the oculomotor nerve, with histopathological and radiological characteristics. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 10-year-old girl presented with sudden-onset left temporal and retro-orbital pain. Magnetic resonance imaging scans demonstrated a small, capsulated, retro-orbital, intraconal solid lesion that was diagnosed as an atypical dermoid cyst preoperatively. The tumor was resected subtotally. Postoperatively, the patient became pain free, but ipsilateral ptosis and upward eye movement failure developed. Histologically, the lesion consisted of well-differentiated striated muscle fibers intermingled with mature nerve elements consistent with the NMC. CONCLUSION: Although intracranial NMCs need histological confirmation for diagnosis, neuroimaging might contribute to the preoperative diagnosis and management strategy of treatment. We report the first intraconal NMC, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intraorbital tumors.

Anatomical study of the cavernous sinus emphasizing operative approaches.

AIM: The aim of this article is to describe the microsurgical anatomy of the cavernous sinus, the triangles, and the osseous relationships in the region with special attention to the relationships important in surgical approaches on the intracavernous structures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty cavernous sinuses obtained from twenty-five cadaver heads were studied in detail using magnification. Stepwise dissections of the cavernous sinuses performed to demonstrate the intradural and extradural routes, anatomy of the triangles and osseous relationships in the region. RESULTS: The main branches of the intracavernous portion of the carotid artery were the meningohypophyseal, the inferior cavernous sinus, and McConnell;s capsular artery . The main branches of the meningohypophyseal trunk were the tentorial, the dorsal meningeal, and the inferior hypophyseal artery. There were variations of the main branches of the meningohypophyseal trunk. The sixth cranial may splite into rootlets as it passes lateral to the carotid artery. There were size and shape variation of the triangles. CONCLUSION: Aprecise understanding of the bony relationships, the anatomy of the triangels and neurovascular content of the cavernous sinus, together with the use of cranial base and microsurgical techniques are necessary for safer surgery. Asingle approach is not capable of providing exposure of all parts of the sinus.